


Masked

by ver_ironica



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Superhero Lance (Voltron), gang member shiro, heroes & villains au, kuron is shiro's alias
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 17:50:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17349797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ver_ironica/pseuds/ver_ironica
Summary: As a superhero, Lance often has run-ins with the villainous Galra Gang, and with one member in particular. Kuron is one of the top thugs for the group, with a mind as sharp as his Phantom Limb. Lance has to try and capture him for information, but Kuron always seems to be one step ahead of him. When Kuron lets him leave with his life, Lance worries that there is more to Kuron than he thinks.





	Masked

**Author's Note:**

> This hero and villain AU is my gift for the Shance Secret Santa 2018! I was really grateful to be able to pinch hit for this, it was a great prompt and really fun to write. Thanks for waiting, and I hope you like it Alex!

The trap should have been obvious. 

There were too few guards, it was all too simple. But Lance had felt like he finally, _finally_ got the upper hand on this mission, and that he had the element of surprise on his side. 

With the cover of night, the Blue Siren crept his way into the Galra's hideout, quietly dispatching the thugs at every turn with a well-placed dart to the neck, or a quick submission with his arms. He had backup on call, Hunk and Pidge ready to dispatch help at a moment's notice with a push on his watch screen if needed. 

He found himself deep in the basement levels of the hideout, Honerva's Palace. The storefront at street level was a glittering casino hall, full of sparkle and glamour and patrons with full pockets. To sneak in, Lance had looked the part, his suit tailored perfectly to his lean form. His team of Altea's Lions had done what they could to prepare him beforehand, but the chances of transmissions being noticed was too high for constant communication within.

It took a few well placed laughs and charismatic conversation to slip through the crowds and find the entry point to the rest of the building. It was located behind the cellar full to the brim with fine, aging liquor. It only went downward from there. 

Lance ducked around another corner, four more guards passed out behind him. He had to stay undetected, he was in the thick of it now. He wouldn't win in any contest of strength--his talents were for charm and subtlety. 

He checked his watch again, quickly becoming a nervous habit. But there were no texts, his team was trusting him. He let out a small sigh of relief. 

He was making his way to Kuron's office. He was a top thug of the Galra Gang, who carried out the gruesome tasks for the head boss, Haggar. He had a Phantom Limb, an ability that Lance and his team could only guess at until a few days ago. As soon as they hit the goldmine of information from an encrypted email, however, they set plans into motion to finally take out Kuron. 

Being a hero wasn't easy, and the blood thrumming in Lance's ears reminded him of that with every pulse. He was terrified, trapped in a lion's den that could spring on him at the slightest compromise of his position. He had to be quicker--get into the office, subdue Kuron, and call for backup.

He'd only seen Kuron a few times during different missions. He was tall and imposing, as though made of stone. He had a scar across his face and was missing his right arm. And he was the most handsome man Lance had ever seen in his life. 

As he made his way through the halls to where the office was, Lance felt a chill on the back of his neck. He dove into an alcove, readying his gun strapped that had been tucked into his suit. He trusted his instincts. 

He glanced in the halls, eyes straining to see what had been the source of his unease.

"You got distracted," a casual voice said from behind him. 

Lance only had time to lift his hands before a glare of purple burned into his vision, causing him to look away. His gun was thrown to the opposite wall. He tried to stand, but a swift kick to his chest sent him spiraling to the ground. 

"Not your best work, Siren," the voice chided. 

Anger pulsed hot in Lance's blood at the condescension, even though the villain was right. He twisted and arced, using the momentum of the fall to get to his feet. 

Kuron stood in front of him, dressed in a fine suit, his long black hair pulled back neatly, the streak of white in the front a stark contrast. Lance smacked a hand to his wrist, only to realize the watch wasn't there anymore. 

"Oh, this?" Kuron asked with a charming smile. He held up the delicate watch in his left hand. "You should know by now, I have quick fingers." 

"You--" Lance tried to say, but a jolt went through his body. A glowing purple form appeared at Kuron's shoulder, a projection that took the perfect shape of an arm. It had passed through Lance's chest, stunning him, and making it hard to think.

"No, no, no," Kuron said sternly. "No Charming me tonight, Siren. You're my prisoner now."

\-----

Lanced pulled on the cuffs again, to no avail other than cutting into his wrists. The chair under him was cushioned. The blindfold over his eyes was soft and velvety as well, and he shuddered to think of any reason why a criminal would have anything this soft for his prisoners. But it did its job solidly, giving Lance no way to make eye contact with Kuron, and therefore no ability to Charm him. 

How Kuron came by that information was ridiculously frustrating. Always one step ahead.

"This was really unfortunate," Kuron said. "I was hoping you all would finally put up a real fight."

Lance said nothing. 

"I've heard you love nothing more than to talk, Siren. Why don't you indulge me?" Kuron asked lightly. 

Lance bit his lip. 

"You can't Charm me, but that doesn't mean you're not charming already. We're just on two different sides of this life, never fated to cross. Except for these little instances where you and your Altean Lions fail. I'm sure that doesn't make you happy, but it does make me feel more inclined to like you."

Lance stiffened. How had Kuron learned the name of their group? 

A cold hand suddenly had his jaw. He froze, and despite his efforts to remain calm, his heart took off beating wildly. 

"There's no reason for you to keep me other than to torture me," Lance spat. "Just get it over with."

There was a tense moment of silence. But Kuron simply said, "No."

The air filled with the tension that comes with a question that no one will raise. Lance refused to indulge him. 

The hand dropped from his face. He let out a gasp of air. 

"You know, you could join us," Kuron said quietly after a long pause. 

"Join _you_? The Galra Gang?" Lance sputtered, so thrown by the offer that he lost his composure. "You're murderers, thieves, scammers--why the _hell_ would I join you?" 

Kuron sighed, and Lance felt his disappointment. He could hear his footsteps as Kuron paced. "We look out for each other. We're a family. More than your precious Altean Lions. They'll leave you here for dead to keep from risking their operations." 

"But they're good people. We all knew the risks when we signed up. And if you think that Pid--" He abruptly stopped himself. He almost gave away his friends' _names_. This was what Kuron was trying to do. To play with his emotions, make him spill information.

"I already know who Pidge and Hunk are," Kuron said dismissively, his voice too close to Lance. 

Dread filled his stomach. If he knew who they were, then...

"And I know who you are, Blue Siren." Kuron took a breath. "Lance."

It was over, the game was lost. In desperation, Lance used the only card he had up his sleeve. "Shiro."

The motion in the room stopped. "You learned my name too, did you?" 

"Takashi Shirogane, Shiro, you really shouldn't have been so talented in high school. They don't erase that history well enough at all, especially if they're proud of it." Lance shook in the cuffs from nerves, but continued, trying to sound smug and in control. "You were a star athlete and valedictorian. The perfect student."

"Only perfect as long as I had four limbs," Shiro breathed. Lance wasn't even sure if he was talking to him. 

"Why did you give it all up? Why did--" Lance tried to press further.

But footsteps thundered away from him, and a door slam told him that Shiro had left the room. 

\-----

Lance didn't remember falling unconscious, but when he woke, his hands weren't tied. His brain was muddled, but he blinked, realizing he could see as well. 

His watch was beeping by his face. He blearily tapped it. 

"--ren? Siren! Lance, are you there?" Pidge's voice came through, frightened and not at all in her usual composed tone. 

"Pidge, I'm here," Lance replied, his tongue heavy in his mouth. Shiro must've drugged him to keep him from waking. 

"I'm sending an extraction team to get you. Tell me what happened. I'm assuming you don't have Kuron?" she asked. 

"I'm lucky I have my life, Pidge," Lance said. "He caught me. He _knew_ me, and you and Hunk, too. But... he let me go?" 

Lance took stock of his surroundings. He realized he was on a park bench downtown, several miles away from the glitzy street where Honerva's Palace was. His suit was disheveled and he probably looked like a passed out drunk.

Lights flashed in the distance, a comforting blue and red. Sometimes working undercover with the police was useful, and he couldn't be more grateful. He mumbled a few more answers to Pidge's questioning, but his brain was working through the drugs and confusion. Why had Kuron dropped him off in a safe location where police could get him, without compromising either of their operations? Why hadn't he tortured him for information on Altean Lions?

The extraction team carefully helped him into a car, and discretely made their way to the Altean headquarters in Arus Tower. Keith was driving, his sleeves and gloves covering his tattooed wrists. Pidge and Hunk were in the backseat, soothing Lance now, and he appreciated it. The time for questions would come later. They might've even worried he was in shock. 

"What was he like?" Hunk asked after a few minutes. 

"He was imposing, and built like a brick wall," Lance said. "And he still managed to sneak up on _me_."

"Allura's not gonna be happy about that," Keith muttered from the front of the car. 

"And his Phantom Limb?" Pidge asked. 

"Terrifying. It works to stun as well as harm. He phased it into my chest and it felt like I'd been Tased." 

"Holy crow," Hunk said softly. 

"He was also super fucking hot," Lance added wryly. 

"Gross," Keith complained, and Pidge and Hunk groaned in agreement. 

They reached Arus Tower and drove below street level into the parking garage. Allura was there to greet them, a goddess standing firmly in a maroon suit with her ethereal white locks loose around her. She could step on Lance with her heels and he would say "thank you." Right now, though, the fury in her eyes made him feel guilty and awful. Keith and Pidge exchanged nervous looks. Hunk patted Lance on the back as they all got out of the car. 

"Allura, I--" Lance tried to say. 

"Don't," she warned, raising her hand. "I am not disappointed in you, Lance. I am furious that we were not well enough equipped to take on the Galra Gang." 

"We might've been if I hadn't--"

"Enough." Allura turned around, escorting them inside the headquarters. "We will discuss what we've learned and plan our next attempt. Those villains _will_ be brought down." 

Lance opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself. He had a childish urge to ask Allura if she knew why Shiro had let him go. But he knew, rationally, that he shouldn't be thinking about it so much, or wondering about the answer. 

They moved on and continued with debriefings. Lance explained as best he could what happened. He told them about how Kuron had known his Charm ability's weakness, Pidge and Hunk's names, and likely more than they would've thought. 

Allura's face flashed with her pink markings on her cheeks. She had trouble concealing her emotions, with her abilities giving her away. Her worry crackled with vibrant sparks along her arms. Keith gave her a tentative pat, the only one able to touch her when her energy was pouring off her this way. His body was used to spikes of energy, from the sparks involved in his own abilities of making fire. 

"This won't be the last chance we'll have. There will be another. You're all dismissed for now," Allura said. Her voice softened. "Please try and get some rest." 

Lance felt a strange rush of excitement. He realized that he _wanted_ to see Shiro again, and that he needed to know why he had let him go. The questions burned inside him, and he tossed and turned that night despite his exhaustion. 

But a tiny, hopeful question was lurking in the back of his mind. Was there any possibility that Shiro wasn't as crazy and bloodthirsty as the rest of the Gang? Shiro had said they were on two different sides of this life, never fated to cross. But he also said he liked when the Lions fail, because then he could talk with Lance. 

None of it made any sense. All Lance had to go on were guesses and hopes, and he knew he had to figure it out. The next time he saw Kuron, things will go differently. He _had_ to succeed. He finally drifted to sleep, the memory of Shiro's hand on his face in his dreams. 

\-----

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @justashance and twitter @ver_writes


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